A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION TheMeetingMagazines.com

Volume 5 • Number 1 $12.00

FEBRUARY/MARCH SSOCIATION 2012 CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES THE SOURCE FOR ASSOCIATION MEETING PLANNING MANAGEMENT

Meeting Tech Trends New Ways to Boost Engagement and Revenue PAGE 16 Meetups, such as this one sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, connect Photo courtesy IndustryPhoto of Biotechnology Organization participants in advance via social media. Medical Meetings 10 | CVB & Convention Center Update 20 | Florida 28 In This Issue ISSN 21628831 USPS 003500 A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION SSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES ATHE SOURCE FOR ASSOCIATION MEETING PLANNING MANAGEMENT February / March 2012 Volume 5 • Number 1 Departments Features

4 Publisher’s Page 10 Just What the 6 News & Notes Doctor Ordered Growing Attendance and New Venues 10 Provide Welcome Relief From the 34 Career Track Recession’s Aches and Pains By John Buchanan 35 Direct Connect

16 Get on Board Elevate the Meeting Experience with Trendy Tech Tools ViewPoint By George Seli

8 Technology 20 CVB & Convention How to Use Technology to Center Update Accelerate Business Attracting Association Meetings With 20 By Brad Weaber New Technology, New Builds and More By Kelle Barr

Destinations

28 Florida Where ‘Attraction’ Is the Name of the Game By George Seli

Photo by Jacob Slaton, www.jacobslaton.com Jacob Slaton, by Photo 16 28

Association Conventions & Facilities is published bi-monthly by Coastal Communications Corporation, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394; 561-989-0600. Single copies $12.00 U.S.A. only. Yearly subscription price is $60.00 in the U.S.A. Canada and foreign is $125.00. Back copies $13.00 plus shipping and handling, U.S.A. only. Distributed without charge to qualified personnel. Periodicals Postage Paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send Form 3579 address changes to Association Conventions & Facilities, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Nothing contained in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by Coastal Communications Corporation (Association Conventions & Facilities), and the publication disclaims any liability with respect to the use of or reliance on any such information. The information contained in this publication is in no way to be construed as a recommendation by AC&F of any industry standard, or as a recommendation of any kind to be adopted by or to be binding upon any advertiser or subscriber. Reproduction of any portion of this publication by any means is strictly forbidden. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Subscribers: Send subscription inquiries and address changes to: Circulation Department, Association Conventions & Facilities, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Provide old and new addresses including zip code. Enclose address label from most recent issue and please allow five weeks for the change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. © 2012.

TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 3 Publisher’s Page

Staying Ahead of the Curve January in San Diego was sunny all over, and not just because of A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION

the weather. The Professional Convention Management Association WEBSITE (PCMA) Annual Meeting, Convening Leaders, reported an increase in www.themeetingmagazines.com

overall attendance compared to last year “by a very small margin,” but PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF professional planner participation increased year-over-year by 9 percent. Harvey Grotsky This may or may not be in part due to an increase in employment [email protected] numbers for meeting planners: Survey results from the December 2011 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mitch D. Miller Business Barometer issued by Meeting Professionals International reveal [email protected] that 10 percent more meeting professionals have seen increased full- Grace L. Jan, CAE, CMP time employment in the U.S. and Europe since October 2011, and 15 MANAGING EDITORS Susan W. Fell Vice President of Meetings, percent more report increases in part-time and contract employment. [email protected] Management Solutions Plus Inc. Beyond the numbers at PCMA was the energy I felt walking around Susan S. Gregg the San Diego Convention Center. It called to mind Ronald Reagan’s [email protected]

inspiring “It’s morning again in America” presidential campaign theme, CONTRIBUTING EDITORS which seems to ring true today for the growing optimism in the Mike Bassett Karen Brost meeting and convention industry. Fueling the buzz and excitement John Buchanan Stella Johnson are all the high-tech bells and whistles available to enhance attendee Derek Reveron engagement and interactivity before, during and after the meeting — George Seli and to boost revenue. PRESIDENT & CEO The Virtual Edge Summit, which co-located at Convening Leaders, Harvey Grotsky helped attendees learn how to stay ahead of the curve and leverage the VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS physical side of events with digital strategies, from augmented reality to David A. Middlebrook augmenting the event with a virtual component. And that’s where the [email protected]

revenue comes in. According to Michael Doyle, executive director of the ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES Virtual Edge Institute, “Less than 15 percent of events have historically 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 120 Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394 Omni understands been capturing their content and making it available after the event. 561-989-0600 Fax: 561-989-9509 With the hybrid elements in the physical and virtual running at the At Omni, we understand that you need a venue that has it all—including entertained NORTHEAST same time, much more content is being captured and then repurposed 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 attendees. That’s why we offer resort properties in sought-after destinations, to drive future engagement.” You might say that staying ahead of the [email protected] complete with advanced meeting technology and on-site activities. So you can curve brings events full circle. plan an unforgettable meeting that offers the perfect mix of business and pleasure. FLORIDA/CARIBBEAN The stories in this issue speak to the importance of staying ahead 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 of the technological curve. SmithBucklin’s Brad Weaber on page 8 [email protected] 800-788-6664 omniunderstands.com

gets right to the bottom line: “Associations cannot afford to be on SOUTHWEST the fence about whether or not they should incorporate technology 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 [email protected] into their meetings. Rather, they need to ask how incorporating technology can be done effectively while generating revenue at the SOUTHEAST 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 same time.” Read on about new high-tech tools used by associations [email protected] like the Biotechnology Industry Organization (pictured on our cover) to facilitate and augment the attendee experience (page 18); and how MIDWEST 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 CVBs and convention centers are keeping up their own hectic pace to [email protected] stay ahead of the curve (page 20). WEST Marshall Rubin 818-888-2407 • Fax: 818-888-4907 Omni Orlando Resort Omni Bedford Springs Resort Omni Denver Interlocken Resort [email protected] at ChampionsGate

HAWAII 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 Harvey Grotsky [email protected] Publisher

©2011 Omni Hotels & Resorts

4 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com

OMNI-1201E_grace_8.125x10.875_F.indd 1 10/7/11 2:46 PM News & Notes

AIBTM Reports Spike in Hosted PCMA Launches a New The Homestead Begins $25 Million Transformation Buyer Group Coordinators New Owners of Manchester Grand Hyatt Education Gateway Portal LONDON, ENGLAND — The Americas Meetings & San Diego Reveal Renovation Plan CHICAGO, IL — The Professional Events Exhibition (AIBTM), Reed Travel Exhibitions’ SAN DIEGO, CA — Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego presented the re- Convention Management Association premiere provider for the U.S. meetings and events design of its guest rooms to meeting planners who attended PCMA’s (PCMA) announced the launch of industry, announced that it has more than 50 2012 Convening Leaders annual conference held in San Diego in EduGate — an education gateway Hosted Buyer Group Coordinators committed to January. Beginning in May 2012, the entire hotel will be renovated in- portal to facilitate the 24/7, 365-day AIBTM in Baltimore, June 19-21, 2012. According cluding 1,625 guest rooms, meeting and public space, as well as food submission of session proposals and to Reed Travel Exhibitions AIBTM Project Director and beverage outlets. The project is scheduled for completion in fall great ideas. With EduGate, PCMA has Steve Knight, group coordinators receive the 2013. The new owner of Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, a sub- created universal program submission same VIP treatment as Hosted Buyers. “They have sidiary of Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. now owns more than 4,600 hotel standards. The portal allows PCMA to im- the opportunity to meet face-to-face with top rooms in the San Diego area. Located on the Gaslamp Quarter’s water- mediately assess a speaker’s fluency and clients through AIBTM’s online pre-scheduled front, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego overlooks San Diego Bay and commitment to its submission, thereby appointment system, and they enjoy complimen- is comprised of two connecting towers, the 33-story Seaport Tower and increasing speed-to-session-delivery and tary travel and accommodations when bringing the 40-story Harbor Tower. www.manchestergrand.hyatt.com staff productivity. EduGate provides for a qualified group of 10 or more.” Additionally, a central database for PCMA staff, pro- PCMA has committed to bringing 500 hosted gram committees and chapter leaders to buyers and Site has committed to bringing 100 International Association of search for vetted and approved quality HOT SPRINGS, VA — The Homestead, the iconic mountain resort in Hot Springs, VA, incentive buyers. Space is available, and AIBTM is education programming. Speakers need began work on a multifaceted $25 million transformation. Set for completion in accepting applications for Hosted Buyer Group Venue Managers Restructures only to submit once to be considered summer 2012, The Homestead will debut a new spa and wellness center; Allegheny Coordinators. Contact Elizabeth Shipman at COPPELl, TX — The International Association of Venue for multiyear, multi-event opportunities Springs, a two-acre family adventure area with water attractions; new restaurants [email protected]. www.aibtm.com Managers (IAVM) was restructured to respond to rather than the resubmissions required and bars; and the new Mini Cascades golf course. The new Jefferson’s Grill restau- current economic in the past. The first test for EduGate rant will draw inspiration from the nation’s first gourmand, Thomas Jefferson, with times and meet will be the 2013 Convening Leaders Call a farm-to-table menu celebrating the heritage of Virginia’s original farmers and member needs, for Presentations, now open through present-day artisans including local farmers, ranchers, cheese makers and vintners. Atlantis Paradise Island Continues Renovation according to February 29. EduGate was developed in Open since 1766, the 483-room Homestead features 72,000 sf of meeting space, PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS — According to Travel Weekly, despite a financial reorgani- President and CEO Hawarden collaboration with PCMA’s technology three championship golf courses, a downhill ski area, a 48-stable equestrian center zation, Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas will move ahead with the renovation of 700 Vicki Hawarden, CMP, who set up the partner, Active Network. www.pcma.org and show ring, and a top-rated shooting club. www.thehomestead.com rooms in the 3,614-room resort, a makeover of several bars and lounges, an expan- staff into three lines of service: educa- sion of the sports bars, tion; sales and business development; beach restoration and and operations and finance. Hawarden ESPA Celebrates New Brand, Elects New President more. “We continue to says, “The goal is an organizational struc- PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ — ESPA, the Event Service Professionals Association, formerly known as ACOM, reinvest in the prop- ture that will ensure we have strong celebrated the launch of its new name, logo and mission statement, and named a new president at its erty by adding new leaders focused on our core business: annual conference held in January at the US Grant in San Diego, CA. David Dvorak, CMP, vice president, features, activities and value to our members, financial stabil- catering and convention services, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, is the 2012 ESPA president. New sessions guest services,” says ity and growth, and operational excel- at the conference, which was held prior to PCMA’s Annual Conference, included Ideas in Motion — a George Markantonis, lence.” Accordingly, Rodney Williams, speed-learning session that encouraged dialogue between planners and CSMs. Additionally, new re- president and man- DBA, was promoted to vice president of gional networking sessions, a book club-style event, and a showcase where attendees shared innova- aging director of education; Roy Benear was named vice tive service tools and programs were also featured. ESPA also introduced the Seek & Tweet contest on Kerzner International president of sales and business devel- Dvorak Twitter — a scavenger hunt-style activity incorporating social media. www.espaonline.org Bahamas, operator opment, and Steve Flamm, IAVM COO/ of the resort. Winter CFO, will continue to oversee operations bookings are ahead and finance. www.iavm.org Salt Palace Convention Center Goes Solar of 2010 and “group SALT LAKE CITY, UT — According to the Deseret News, the largest solar energy array in Utah is atop the Salt Palace Convention business this year is forecast to run 12 percent ahead of 2011, which ran 35 percent Center. The array, which is growing by 200 panels a day, will produce just less than 20 percent of the convention center’s energy. ahead of 2010,” he says. Despite the reorganization, Markantonis says that “there are SEE US ON THE WEB Kimberly Barnett, senior adviser to Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, says having 4.5 acres of solar panels on the roof is no changes planned regarding the status of our employees, our sales and marketing www.TheMeetingMagazines.com expected to result in more conventions. Salt Lake City is under consideration by the American Solar Energy Society and the U.S. initiatives and management. There will be a resolution regarding the financial status Green Building Council because of the solar addition, says Shawn Stinson, spokesman for the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors in the near future.” www.atlantismeetings.com Bureau. “The project has definitely caught attention,” he says. www.visitsaltlake.com

6 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 7 View Point

Technology Brad Weaber

How to Use Technology to Accelerate Business s associations continue to operate in a cost-conscious sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers because it means And more and more exhibitors are embracing the tab- Web-Based Platforms Offer Aenvironment, it is important to look for new ways to their logos and other pertinent information may be promi- let as a sales tool at trade shows and beyond. Greater Efficiencies optimize spending and ensure effectiveness. Technology is nently displayed each time a user accesses the app, which In 2011, SmithBucklin launched its meeting helping associations provide innovation and value by fuel- many times, is in advance of the event. Therefore, mobile Virtual Extensions Enable management software, which streamlines many facets of ing growth. As a result, associations cannot afford to be on apps give them additional exposure to thousands of at- Continuous Interaction the meeting-management process, including maintaining the fence about whether or not they should incorporate tendees. The Car Wash Show is one such event that created Technology changes the rules of member engagement. a global hotel and supplier database, creating custom technology into their meetings. Rather, they need to ask a new source of revenue from a mobile app. The show’s Rather than just interacting with attendees during the few RFPs and developing a multitude of meeting and how incorporating technology can be done effectively mobile app increased attendee interaction and engage- while generating revenue at the same time. Here are some ment for the exhibitors that proactively used the technol- ideas on how the application of technology can enhance ogy. Results show that exhibitors who uploaded handouts not only a meeting or event, but an association overall. and logos to the show’s app received 50 percent of the Associations cannot afford to be on the fence about whether total exhibitor views. Exhibitors that took advantage of or not they should incorporate technology into their meetings. Mobile Apps Grab the Starring Role these free and relatively easy opportunities increased their With their inexpensive costs and relatively easy-to- visibility and showcased their products and services to Rather, they need to ask how incorporating technology can be use format, mobile apps are making a noticeable impact thousands of attendees on an ongoing basis. on associations’ meetings. One of the best features done effectively while generating revenue at the same time. of a mobile app is its ability to provide immediate Tablets Streamline Event information. Attendees can access a seemingly limitless Planning, Selling days they are at a conference, utilizing certain technolo- management reports. Client organizations are already amount of event information at the touch of their The tablet computer brings new levels of efficiency gies enables an association to have numerous touch points experiencing great value from the software. This type of fingertips. Through mobile apps, associations can to event management. An iPad works wonders as a with members and potential attendees throughout the innovative technology is a great way to reduce expenses instantly update and deliver breaking news, such as a substitute for a meeting planner’s heavy binder. Rather year. For example, the Independent Oracle Users Group and create new revenue models that will make events change to booth locations or event times, to attendees than lug around a bulky book, planners can load all (IOUG) wanted to extend its conference content to a year- even more profitable. and exhibitors. This can save on the enormous cost the information onto a lightweight tablet and have round format. To do so, IOUG recorded approximately 40 Associations that take advantage of the latest technol- of printing thousands of handouts to simply notify immediate access to floor plans, specs, orders, etc., at the sessions from its annual meeting and posted them online ogy do so to the benefit of members, meeting attendees, attendees of a room or time change. Mobile apps also touch of a fingertip. Staff members can answer on-the- as webinars. This helped IOUG boost its annual revenue exhibitors, and essentially, their own bottom lines. AC&F provide vendors another touch point with attendees. spot event questions from attendees, and can also use a by 20 percent. This showcases how associations can grow Mobile apps also have the ability to bring in an ad- tablet to sell exhibitor spaces for future shows. Attendees by reaching more members more frequently with year- Brad Weaber serves as executive vice president of SmithBucklin’s Event Services ditional stream of revenue for an association’s events. For can use the tablet to view onsite guides and expo floor round, low-cost content. In IOUG’s case, the extension of unit. He is a 26-year meetings industry veteran and oversees all of the company’s example, with many mobile apps there is the option to plans, network with peers and gain access to an unlimited its in-person event to virtual audiences was only possible convention, trade show and event management service offerings. SmithBucklin is customize the home screens. This is attractive to potential amount of event information. through cost-effective tools such as webinars. the world’s largest association management and professional services company.

8 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 9 Medical Meetings

Just What the

Doctor OrderedGrowing Attendance and New Venues Provide

Welcome Relief From the courtesyPhoto Medical of Cleveland Mart Center & Convention Meeting planners of medical meetings will be attracted to the brand new Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center when it opens in fall 2013. The By John Buchanan Recession’s Aches and Pains medical mart will house permanent showrooms for cardiology, surgery, ob-gyn, imaging, orthopedics, patient care, medical devices and more.

edical meetings, which represent the single At the same time, however, drawing more international at- to the meeting can only afford to send two. And that is just the can’t take the exhibit hall for granted anymore, and that they have largest sector of the association meeting tendees also faces some unique obstacles, such as reduced reality. And it is true globally, not just in the U.S.” to reinvent the experience for exhibitors and attendees,” says and convention market, enjoyed a good funding from third-party sponsors, says Wanda Johnson, CMP, Another hurdle, the agonizingly difficult and slow process of Skinner. “And that is going to have to be a collaboration between year in 2010, while much of the industry still CAE, senior director, meetings and education, at the Endocrine obtaining visas, apparently will be remedied sooner rather than meeting organizers and exhibitors to really make the exhibit halls struggled from the lingering effects of a deep Society in Chevy Chase, MD. “That is changing now, so the ques- later. In January, at Walt Disney World Resorts’ Magic Kingdom a lot more of an educational experience. That means a lot more recession.M Total attendance at medical meetings drawing more tion then becomes whether those people will be able to get to Park in Orlando, FL, President Obama said his administration will focus on education on the exhibit floor, as well as more engaging than 4,000 participants improved 6.7 percent over 2009, accord- the meetings in the future,” she says. “We haven’t seen a signifi- improve and speed up the visa process for certain categories of kinds of medical activity that really drives attendees back into the ing to the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association cant change yet, but I’m hearing buzz in the medical meeting travelers. According to published reports, qualified foreign visi- exhibit hall. So as a result of that, what I hear most from both show (HCEA). Statistics for 2011, not yet available, are expected to community that that might be something that will impact at- tors who were thoroughly screened during a prior visa application organizers and exhibitors is a wholesale effort to really make the show further growth. tendance in the future.” may be able to renew their visas without undergoing the current exhibit hall a micro-environment for education.” “That’s a good indicator that major medical meetings are still In addition, Johnson says, sharply reduced research budgets multitiered visa screening process. Kay Witt, senior vice president of sales at the Nashville the place for medical professionals to get their continuing educa- have also begun to impact attendance at her annual meeting, Convention & Visitors Bureau, is one of the many CVB executives tions and network with each other,” says Frank Skinner, HCEA’s which attracts both doctors and researchers. “The funding situ- The exhibition conundrum around the country who is witnessing the manifestation of the executive director. ation in research has been a huge factor,” she says. “For example, Another current issue causing concern among convention trend Skinner cites. “We do see that some associations are using Yet despite such good news, the industry still faces a range of some research organizations that would like to send five people centers and meeting organizers is a significant reduction in the less exhibit space,” she says. “We think that it’s primarily because issues and challenges, from maintaining attendance and the use total use of exhibit space. Use of net space declined by 18 percent their base is just getting smaller as a result of the Great Recession. of exhibit space to the presentation of top-quality content and the “One of the things we work in 2010 and also recorded a decline in 2009, according to the latest But the good news is that we also see that their use of meeting shadow of tough new regulations. data available from HCEA. “At this point, I’m just speculating, but space has been getting bigger as a result of more focus on meeting One current issue that’s important to both destinations and hard on is (exhibitor) brand maybe one reason for that is increased legislative and regulatory content and continuing education sessions. But a lot of planners planners is a growing focus on international attendance. “One of awareness opportunities complexity that is causing exhibitors to just bring smaller exhibits,’ are still trying to find the right focus between those two things.” the things we are hearing and seeing is that medical associations at the meeting. We...find Skinner says. “But it could be that’s it just the economy, in general, A related challenge, says Karen Malone, vice president of meet- are looking for more international attendance, because that’s an that is causing exhibitors to scale back. It could also be that labor ings at Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management area of growth for them,” says Nikki Moon, vice president of con- out what their individual costs going up to the point where exhibitors think that it’s becom- Systems Society (HIMSS), is that exhibitors are now looking for vention sales at the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. brand cachet is, and then ing too costly to bring larger booths to these shows.” more detailed and clearly demonstrable ROI from their show “That challenge of helping planners increase international atten- Karen Malone Regardless of what the reasons might be, the reality of the participation. Malone, whose annual meeting draws 32,000 at- Vice President of Meetings we find ways to leverage dance is one that every major destination is going to face, even downward pressure on the use of exhibit space is causing asso- tendees, 1,100 exhibitors and presents 300 education sessions, HIMSS that to build brand though it’s really only in its infancy now, because that’s where the ciations and meeting planners to take a fresh look at their value says the main thing her exhibitors are looking for is access to the Chicago, IL growth is going to be in the market.” awareness for them.” propositions. “A lot of meeting organizers are realizing that they market. They provide that by offering a range of opportunities for

10 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 11 gaining visibility, she adds. “One of the things we work hard on enforced on the back end to make sure you are providing the right that business. It’s safe, it’s affordable, and most important it’s an is brand awareness opportunities at the meeting. To do that, we kind of content and presenters for your particular meeting.” “In the future, when authentic kind of experience that is truly different. And you get sit down with exhibitors to find out what their individual brand Complicating the responsibility, he adds, is the pervasive influ- a lot of bang for your buck in Nashville. And that has never been cachet is, and then we find ways to leverage that to build brand ence of third-party vendors and the critical difference between associations and more important than it is now.” awareness for them,” Malone says. legitimate education content and what is, in effect, a promotional planners think of us, And, Witt says, while other, more well-known destinations are presentation masquerading as education. “And promotional con- they’re not going to think developing new medical infrastructure, Nashville has had it all Content is king tent, no matter how interesting it might be,” he says, “is not really along. It comes as a surprise to many planners, she says, that medi- Despite such hotly debated issues as how to maintain and build pertinent to the purpose of the meeting or genuine education.” of us just as a great cine is the No. 1 employer in the greater Nashville area. attendance and the use of exhibits, the overarching factor that is At the same time, Hope adds, another presentation-related Gary Sain meeting destination, The Nashville Medical Trade Center, a 1.5 million-sf interna- becoming more critical every year is the education content pro- issue that is challenging a longstanding model for meetings has President and CEO but also as a great tional trade center for heath-care ideas, information and inno- vided at meetings. “Content is a key driver of success and espe- been a fast-growing focus on peer-to-peer discussion, as opposed Visit Orlando vation will open in early 2013. Utilizing the existing convention cially of attendance,” Malone says. “There’s no question about that.” to traditional one-way presentations or lectures. Orlando, FL medical center.” center in downtown Nashville with multiple stories constructed As a result, says Phelps Hope, vice president of meetings and “The most progressive associations are really pressing the issue on top, the center will showcase products and services from lead- expositions at Kellen Company in Atlanta, “one of the biggest is- of discussion and interactivity,” he says. “That’s because a lot of Premier convention hotels in and around Orlando embrace ing international companies inside a venue of more than 600 per- sues for associations and planners today is finding a way to keep medicine is really about opinions — one doctor’s opinion versus the idea of Orlando as a center for medical meetings and all that manent showrooms, 140,000 sf of exhibition/trade show space, meetings fresh and keep the information current from an educa- another doctor’s opinion. So what more and more associations it represents. For example, Harris Rosen — a well-known Central conference facilities and technically advanced meeting rooms. tional perspective. Those are the areas where there is a lot more are realizing is that doctors really gain a lot of knowledge through Florida hotelier who is recognized for his philanthropy and pas- In addition, the Nashville Music City Center, a brand new pressure on planners now.” interaction and discussion with their peers. And you can’t get that sion for healthful living, developed a more healthful pizza — low- 1.2-million-sf convention center, will debut in 2013 with 350,000 And a key element of that pressure “is to make sure that the from the Internet or the library of fact-based resources. So, the fat mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni on a whole wheat sf of exhibit space and 90,000 sf of meeting space. Adjoining it more that associations promote discussion around important crust. Dubbed “Rosen’s Perfect Pizza,” it is served at all seven of will be a new 800-room Omni Nashville convention hotel that is topics and the sharing of opinions, the better they are doing when Rosen’s area hotels and is now available at local public schools as officially slated to open in January 2014. “The most progressive it comes to their meetings. And that is a different model from the an alternative to high-fat, high-calorie pizza. Proceeds from the In the meantime, planners who have used Nashville praise associations are traditional model of a keynote speaker who just pushes out infor- sale of the trademarked pizzas fund educational scholarships. it. Johnson held her first meeting there last September, a five- really pressing the mation for 75 minutes.” Meanwhile, New Orleans — which ranks No. 8 on the HCEA day board review session and clinical meeting for 500 attendees. issue of discussion Instead, Hope says, he is seeing more expert-focused panel dis- list for 2010 — is developing a new $3 billion medical complex that “Nashville was attractive to us for a number of reasons,” she says. cussions, workshops and roundtables. And he expects that trend will be completed in downtown New Orleans in 2014 and will in- and interactivity. to accelerate further in 2012 and beyond. clude a University Medical Center in partnership with Louisiana That’s because a lot of State University, Tulane University and Xavier University of medicine is really about Phelps Hope Destination selection Louisiana. Already completed is a new cancer research center Vice President of Meetings The top 20 heath-care meeting destinations in the U.S. hosted opening in February 2012. opinions — one doctor’s and Expositions 43 percent of all reported heath-care meetings in 2010, accord- At the same time, Las Vegas is focusing on medical meetings opinion versus another Kellen Company ing to HCEA. And there’s no reason to believe that top-of-the- as never before. “We have been doing very well in the medical doctor’s opinion.” Atlanta, GA heap cities such as Orlando, Washington DC, San Diego, Las sector,” says Chris Meyer, CMP, CEM, vice president of sales at Vegas or Chicago will ever surrender their supremacy to less the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. “Medical groups educational content is actually qualified for continuing medi- powerful rivals. have discovered — or rediscovered — the value proposition of cal education (CME) credits,” he says. “And for a CME session However, they are not resting on their laurels, either. Las Vegas,” he says. “And word is spreading that Las Vegas is a to qualify for continuing education units (CEUs), it has to meet For example, Orlando — which by some estimates has hosted place that doctors and other medical professionals want to come certain criteria. Well, there are a lot of opinion-givers out there as many as half of all major medical meetings over the past few to. As a result of that, we have become the first destination in who will say this is my opinion or I can sell it as a session, but years — is in the midst of developing the $2 billion, 650-acre Lake the U.S. to create a medical tourism guide, which we launched when you boil it down into the actual hard educational content, Nona Medical City — located just five minutes from Orlando last October.” The Las Vegas Health and Wellness Destination

I’m finding that more and more are not making the grade, usually International Airport — and includes a new University of Central Guide is one sign of the city’s rising prominence in the medical courtesy of Lake MacBethPhoto.com by Nona Photo Orlando’s Lake Nona Medical City, a health and life sciences cluster, is home because they’re representing splinter groups or special interest Florida Medical School that opened last year as well as a host of sector, which was also supported by new medical infrastructure to hospitals, universities, research institutions and life science companies. groups. And either they represent too small a percentage of the hospitals and research laboratories yet to come. “That means that developments such as the opening of the Cleveland Clinic Lou population in the field or they are too slanted toward the industry in the future, when associations and planners think of us,” says Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “One was that there is an endocrine community there because of and selling something.” Gary Sain, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, “they’re not go- Meanwhile, new destinations are getting into the fray and find- Vanderbilt University that we could draw on for faculty. But it’s The only real remedy for that ailment, Hope says, “is to make ing to think of us just as a great meeting destination, but also as a ing success. “More and more planners are looking for a different also a city that is getting a lot of positive press for a variety of rea- sure that the vetting process is solid, that one of those question- great medical center.” Other key Orlando medical infrastructure kind of experience and different kinds of venues than they’ve typi- sons. So it gave us a cost-effective opportunity to do something able presentations does not slip through the process. And that cited by Sain includes Florida Hospital and Orlando Health, as cally gotten in traditional destinations such as New York, Chicago different.” And she agrees with Witt that “bang for the buck” was vetting has to begin with the call for papers and abstracts. That well as an ever-growing cluster of innovative bioscience and life or Orlando,” says Witt. “They’re finally starting to look at different an important benefit to the association and attendees. means your criteria has to be properly set on the front end and science enterprises. kinds of destinations, and Nashville has begun to attract more of That kind of value proposition, combined with world-class

12 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 13 N ew PRe SIdeN t IAL ANd HOSPIt ALIty S u I teS • CONVe NIe N t tO ARe A A ttRACt IONS & tH e M e PARk S 7 d ININ te R N e

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Helen Moss Cancer Research Foundation, Cleveland, OH ge b AN d tequ ILA ORAN president and a board member came for a site visit and saw for themselves the facilities and value that Cleveland offers,” Moss O says. “And the value that they got here was extremely important in a tight economy.” AR & Su SHI

The New PPACA Regulation: kyb RI dge t A Nightmare Waiting to Happen? Although the medical meeting industry has long been rife

with regulations generated by specific industries, such as the e • New S PhRMA code that dictates acceptable activity between phar- bAR SPAC

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for device manufacturers, 2012 will see the final prelude to the N e dy & S OL Photo courtesy of The Chagrin Valley Times Valley Chagrin The courtesyPhoto of controversial rollout of the Physician Payment and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). medical infrastructure such as the Cleveland Clinic, has also The new federal regulation will require that any “transfer of AN d e V begun to attract more medical meetings to Cleveland. The new value” of more than $10 from a meeting host or exhibitor to a phy- g

Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center will open in the sician — even a cup of coffee and a donut, based on local market SPA eet IN

fall of 2013 with 230,000 sf of exhibit space and 60,000 sf of high- value — be recorded and reported. • I MP e M tech, flexible meeting rooms. The center’s 235,000-sf Medical As a result, the levels of concern and uncertainty are both e L Mart will house permanent showrooms focused on cardiology, high because final details of the regulations, which take effect in b Put your meeting in our hands, surgery, ob-gyn, imaging, orthopedics, sterilization, heath-care 2013, are not yet known, says Frank Skinner, executive director b CCA furnishings, patient care, heath-care IT and medical devices. The of Healthcare Conventions and Exhibitors Association (HCEA). FL ex I and attendees will put the trophy in yours.

OF Let our team make you this year’s MVP (Most Valuable Planner). Westin Cleveland Convention Center will open in summer 2013, “And one key reason for that,” he says, “is that something called a L e

t. Find out how you can get up to 10% towards your Master Account or for the charity F adjacent to the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center national provider identification (NPI) number will have to be as- of your choice.* Call (407) 996-9840 or e-mail [email protected] today. S e q. complex. The former Crowne Plaza will undergo a $64 million signed to doctors and as I understand it, some dentists and nurses. New 18,000-sq.-ft. ballroom coming in Fall 2012. RVIC e renovation prior to reopening as a Westin, and offer 481 rooms And that NPI number will then be used to report these ‘transfers and 26,000 sf of meeting facilities. of value’ to those individuals.” AN d Helen Moss, founder and principal of the city’s 11-year-old The bottom line, Skinner says, is much more daunting due dili- nonprofit Helen Moss Cancer Research Foundation played a gence at meetings, which some planners and exhibitors already AM e pivotal role in attracting one of the biggest medical meetings see as a practical nightmare. ® Cleveland has ever hosted. The city drew 520 attendees to the “And the other issue is what’s being called ‘aggregated value,’ ” Rest Assured. NI t • 106,000 S • 106,000 ROOMS annual meeting of the New York-based Society for Integrative Skinner says. “That means that if a doctor goes to five different t Visit www.RosenHotels.com/ROI for current specials. I

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tinations such as San Francisco. will have to also report the total value transferred.” S Moss worked closely with Positively Cleveland and Case The Endocrine Society’s Johnson is one of the many planners Western University Medical School to create an experience that experiencing some practical anxiety about the new regulations. ee N

generated a huge success for the association and its attendees. “Right now, everyone is just waiting to find out what they are going HO uxu RIO u

AC&F L “But what really clinched the deal for Cleveland was when the to really mean,” she says. ® Enter to win a $500 Tiffany & Co. gift card** te L and more at RosenHotels.com/Perks 1,334 1,334 t RANSPORt A t ION t O SHINg L e CReek gOLF CLub • 12 MINuteS t O INteRNAt IONAL AIRPORt

14 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com

ROSEN11144 Assoc Convent_Facilities Mag_Feb 2012.indd 1 1/9/12 10:43 AM Technology

sign in and start looking around at the attendee list, and then once “Now they’re using suites they become a registrant they have full functionality.” Core favors an “open system” that integrates with users’ exist- of tools to put all that ing Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, instead of a closed commu- data together and be nity with its own profiles for event participants. “If I put personal able to create features time into making my LinkedIn profile, I don’t intend to do that at my professional society and then again at my community service and programming and project. So I don’t want to go into a closed community and redo Michelle Bruno, CEM, make decisions about the it all,” she argues. “My experience is that if you build it yourself, CMP event. That’s something you’re going to isolate yourself.” President different; finally someone And BIO is anything but “isolated” in cyberspace, maintaining Bruno Signature Events Get a YouTube channel with about 200 videos and an 18,000-member Salt Lake City, UT is connecting all the dots.” LinkedIn group, a subgroup of which is focused on the international convention. This social media presence serves not only to connect ing trend. “The idea is a holistic approach to analytics,” says Bruno. on existing members, but to pique interest and draw new ones. “We have registration data and data from social media, and you can For Sam Smith, managing director of Interactive Meeting use RFID (radio frequency identification) to track the behaviors of Technology LLC, expanding membership and annual meeting attendees. These data points combine with the surveys we’re all ac- Board attendance is one key motivation behind the use of social media. customed to. Now they’re using suites of tools to put all that data Elevate the Meeting “An association is one organization inside a much larger commu- together and be able to create features and programming and make nity,” Smith points out. “For example, PMI (Project Management decisions about the event. That’s something different; finally some- Experience with Institute) has about 400,000 members. Well, the community is one is connecting all the dots.” probably in the millions, so they have a small slice of the pie. Important discrepancies sometimes surface, for example be- “So how do any of those associations take their annual event and tween attendees’ indicated preferences and their behaviors. “If at

Trendy Tech Tools courtesyPhoto Networks of Active make it a ‘hub’ for the professional community, and how can they an open registration they’re saying they’re interested in these prod- use social media to connect all of the nonmembers?” This is known ucts or these sessions, but they actually go somewhere else, that’s By George Seli The tool does not represent a new tech initiative for BIO. The as “on-boarding” the target audience with the event, and it’s done by revelatory,” Bruno explains. 2011 conference was the fourth one featuring myBIO, and “the repurposing the content effectively through social media channels. Bruno and Smith were both judges on the panel of EIBTM’s hen it comes to enhancing meetings with so- original concept of scanning exhibitors and companies has always For instance, “someone can be Tweeting out the highlights of my Technology Watch Award for 2011, and The Active Network Inc. cial media tools, mobile apps and other trendy been there,” notes Margaret Core, CAE, managing director, sales keynote session, while a different person repurposing that content won honorable mention for precisely the kind of holistic analytics technologies, associations on the whole are and marketing, in BIO’s Conferences and Conventions Division. could be writing a 300-word blog post, or distributing arguably less cutting-edge than corporations. “But in 2011 the user interface became more connected with social digital media kits,” Smith suggests. One reason is associations’ smaller budgets. media tools that attendees might use in their personal lives. We col- Video is yet another promotional channel. “I can WAnother, as Michelle Bruno, CEM, CMP, president of content lect the photo and profile information in the registration process, have a simple video crew running around capturing marketing firm Bruno Group Signature Events, points out, is that and the data automatically imports to myBIO, along with a link to the hot things people are talking about and interview- many associations are dealing with “legacy infrastructures” in the participant’s LinkedIn or Facebook page. We also provide part ing them: ‘What did you think of that comment by Dr. terms of technology. Thus, they’re “trying to retrofit new registra- of the functionality of myBIO to prospective attendees so they can So and So? And that becomes them retelling the event tion technologies or new mobile apps into attendee management in their own words, and you can put the content on systems from 10–20 years ago, and I think that is weighing heavily YouTube.” Essentially, “the event is this big explosion on them,” Bruno contends. of content and ideas, and you’re asking, ‘How can we “We collect the photo take that explosion and repackage it so that it also has Connect with social media and profile information a life beyond in these digital channels?’ You need to That being said, there is exemplary use of the latest meetings tech- in the registration decide on a strategy to repurpose the content, and that nologies among plenty of associations, including the Washington, process and the data has to do with the core messages and the core stories DC-based Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). BIO’s an- that the organization wants to tell.” nual conference draws around 15,000 biotech professionals, and automatically imports they all have the opportunity to facilitate and augment their experi- to myBIO, along with a Margaret E. Core, CAE The Holistic Approach ence with myBIO, a “personal planning tool” running on the Zerista Managing Director, Sales The level of engagement through social media is link to the participant’s and Marketing, courtesyPhoto Industry of Biotechnology Organization platform. Via myBIO, attendees can review the program and put one “data point” that can be used in measuring ROI Meetups sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization are sessions on their calendar, as well as review attendee and exhibitor LinkedIn or Facebook.” BIO for the event, but there are several others that can be easily arranged by utilizing an open system that integrates with users’ lists and mark those with whom they want to connect. Washington, DC culled via tech tools, and integrating them is a grow- Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to connect participants in advance.

16 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 17 medicine’ and between the exhibitor list and our sessions we didn’t night, and that way we can let them have personalized medicine, then that leads us to try to work the Tweeting Out the Tips know what places in proximity of the next year on having that topic better covered.” Twitter isn’t just for convention hosts area, communicating with attendees conference are having a happy hour or “If you’re using a mobile and attendees to provide ongoing up- through their conference hashtag to pro- other specials. But then we can also help app, you can update Tracking Tools dates and commentary on the event. It vide something like a virtual concierge attendees navigate the city via Twitter, all the agendas with The winner of the EIBTM Technology Watch Award can also can also be used by CVBs that want to service. “We ask the association if they for example if they’re not sure how to get that new room location, support ROI measurement by tracking attendee behavior, in a dif- keep delegates posted on local venues have a hashtag for the conference, and from the airport to the hotel or if they’re ferent way. ITN International’s Citywide Attendee Credential, a and happenings. Nina Simmons, on- if they do and they’re OK with us taking looking for a certain kind of restaurant.” Samuel J. Smith and then you can badge that doubles as a free pass to public transit and tourist at- line marketing manager at the Greater part in the conversation, we’ll do that,” It all begins with a “welcome to Phoenix” Managing Director make different kinds of tractions throughout a host city, utilizes NFC (near field commu- Phoenix CVB and “downtown Phoenix Simmons explains. “We like to find out Tweet that lets attendees know live help Interactive Meeting announcements about it.” nication) technology, which is like a very short-range RFID where expert,” is among the trailblazers in this when the conference is having a free from the CVB is just a click away. — GS Technology LLC signal detection depends on user authorization. Minneapolis, MN An NFC chip can work like a “mobile wallet” carrying, say, 50 event dollars that attendees can use to make purchases, and what tor to the event went and left their information. Since it’s a city- tion to an accuracy of 1.3 meters. This “indoor positioning sys- Bruno describes. (San Diego-based Active Network Inc., which ITN did was expand that capability beyond the event into the wide credential, we could report that John Smith used it for the tem” is ideal to facilitate attendees’ navigation of large conven- was an onsite production partner for the PCMA’s 2012 Annual community, specifically the city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, metro, and we could even get down so far as to say he used it at tions that use multiple halls and session rooms. Meeting, recently purchased Philadelphia-based StarCite Inc.) Its which features a mass transit system as well as many restaurants these three metro stops and then visited these two museums and ActiveEvents Insight is a comprehensive suite of mobile and tablet and other venues that are NFC enabled. these two retailers,” says Sorgani. (Attendees at the time of registra- The Convergence Trend applications that gives the event organizer real-time access to reg- The event was IBC, and “to our knowledge it’s the only event tion are asked if they want to opt out.) Can we expect such a city- Navigating the world of mobile apps is challenging for event istration data, lead retrieval, social networking, exhibitor manage- ever to use the event credential for electronic access; many wide credential to be deployed at a U.S. convention in the near fu- organizers these days, with everything from video and Web-based ment, session tracking, event mobile app usage, housing, financial events have issued branded tickets, but not where the actual ture? That depends on the city. “To our knowledge, San Francisco, apps; to those that serve to make conference materials paperless statements and more. show credential is used for access,” explains Mike Sorgani, vice Washington, DC, Atlanta and Philadelphia have NFC-type instal- (floorplans, agendas and exhibitor directories); to those that of- All of these “technology pieces,” as Smith puts it, have been president of sales and marketing for ITN International, located lations,” Sorgani says. Thus, what happened in Amsterdam might fer services like attendee “matchmaking.” One major trend here is there, “but what companies like Active Network and Alliance in Bethesda, MD. “convergence,” where multipurpose mobile apps for phones, tablets Tech are starting to do is put a dashboard in front of it, so all Not only does the event credential (which ITN calls a BCARD) “The event organizer can and other mobile devices are gaining popularity over standalone the information is usable right now, and that’s where the power enable a DMO to grant attendees access to its city’s infrastruc- apps by different companies. “Think of a Swiss army knife,” says is,” says Smith. “The question is, can you take immediate ac- ture and attractions and thus co-brand the city with the event, but thus report on where Bruno. “The trend is driven largely by the market and the buyers, tion to fix a red flag you spot, or is it just good for analytics? event hosts are also enabled to track attendees’ purchasing, con- every single visitor to who are the event organizers, because they’re complaining that it’s Suppose you see that an edu- trol access and provide exhibi- the event went. Since it’s like a revolving door in their office. Everyday somebody is hawk- cation track isn’t getting the tor lead retrieval. “We encode ing a new mobile app. So there was this pressure on developers to attendance you thought it into the BCARD all of the cre- a citywide credential, bring the products together.” would. Perhaps you did a bad dential user’s contact informa- we could report that A distinct trend is the rise of do-it-yourself (DIY) mobile apps, job of guessing which content tion as well as any demographic John Smith used it for Mike Sorgani which provide the benefits of lower costs and more control on the should be in which room, and data the client wants to provide the metro...then visited Vice President of Sales and data published. Products in this category had the highest number you identify that there is an to the exhibiting companies,” Marketing of entries in Tech Watch, including finalist Genie Mobile. “Their opportunity to switch rooms. says Sorgani. “In addition to these two museums and ITN International strength is that they have a very moderately priced mobile app, And then if you’re using digital that we encode access rights, these two retailers.” Bethesda, MD and the organizer can up to the last minute add content to the signage technology, you can meaning that some registrants app by themselves,” Bruno explains. “In the old days they would

update that one time, and it courtesyPhoto of ITN International are allowed to attend some edu- also happen in these cities, where the life of a convention is effec- have to go to the app developer to do that. So the trend is that the will update all your digital sig- The BCARD is an event credential utilizing NFC technology developed by cational sessions and other cat- tively extended on a daily basis through co-branding. intermediary is no longer needed.” ITN International that supports ROI measurement by tracking attendee nage screens. If you’re using a behavior. The badge doubles as a free pass to public transit and more. egories of attendance are not. While both NFC- and RFID-based technologies can be used DIY apps tend to be simpler (e.g., without fancy graphics) and mobile app, you can update all We have systems in place that to track where attendees have been, another kind of tool actu- will eventually pressure other developers to bring down prices on the agendas with that new room location, and then you can will read the credential, looking for a particular access code. Then ally helps them get where they want to go: the wayfinder. Rather some of their products, Smith believes, because “if you just want make different kinds of announcements about it.” the exhibiting companies would use our device with our applica- like an indoor Google Maps, such a tool must lay out a route something simple you can go to Genie Mobile.” In fact, Smith Or at least, the analytics can suggest improvements the host tion to collect contact information on the people that visit them for a user that is much more fine-grained than an outdoor map. holds that this year the sheer number of app suppliers should cre- company or exhibitors can make for the next event. “If you can’t and their exhibit, and in addition to that we allow them to build in “That’s the big issue with this technology,” says Smith. “When ate more competition and opportunities for negotiation that will measure it, you can’t improve it,” says Core. “We have specific re- custom surveys. Then we have built an entire back end that allows you’re inside you may need to know what’s within two feet of ultimately push overall app pricing down. Budget-conscious as- ports in myBIO that we can share with exhibitors. We also look at the exhibiting company and/or the client immediate real-time ac- you.” Now, Wifarer, another Tech Watch finalist, has figured out sociation planners can then make a new year’s resolution to invest the top keywords that attendees used in the search engine and do cess to the data,” explains Sorgani. how to do that with wireless technology, essentially refining a in more apps that will enhance and facilitate attendees’ experience, a ‘gap analysis.’ So if one of our top 20 keywords was ‘personalized “The event organizer can thus report on where every single visi- venue’s existing Wi-Fi systems to pinpoint a smartphone’s loca- as well as perhaps their own. AC&F

18 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 19 CVB & Convention Center Update

Leaders. The four-star Omni San Diego Hotel, located across from the convention center, is one of four head- quarter hotels that helped accommodate the group. Underscoring the value association groups bring to a destination, San Diego predicted an immediate return of Staying Ahead of $11.8 million in economic impact from PCMA’s meeting. TEXTING AND TWEETING FROM A MEETING Smartphone tools and social networks that once ex- isted for amusement or personal use are now fully inte- grated into the association world, and venues are work- ing to keep pace with the trend. By Kelle Barr One example is the 2,100 attendees at the an- the AttractingCurve Association nual meeting for the National Association for Gifted efore Vicki Hawarden, CMP, became president Children (NAGC) who were encouraged to send their and CEO of the International Association of feeds via Twitter to the world during their three-day an- Venue Managers (IAVM) last summer, she over- Meetings With www.jacobslaton.com Slaton, Jacob by Photo nual conference in New Orleans last November. saw several departments at Meeting Professionals Derrick Johnson, II, CMP, director of meetings and International (MPI) — including event planning. New Technology, professional development for NAGC said that the live BHawarden also has held executive positions with the National tweet feeds and their responses were broadcast on Recreation and Park Association, American Association of Blood screens during the programs at the Hilton New Orleans Banks and International Association for Exhibition Management. New Builds and More Riverside hotel, where the conference was held. In short, she knows her way around site selection and has, in re- The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau performed criti- “We also had a texting program that cent years, watched convention centers make great strides to at- cal roles assisting Hawarden and her team in executing the large the CVB set up for us to help with mar- tract functions — including technological upgrades and additions. event, helping to maximize time and achieve MPI’s specific objec- keting and promotion,” Johnson says. “I see convention centers building in more technology and flex- tives within budgetary and timetable limits. “Members were texted with the city’s ibility so the space can morph into whatever the customer needs “The CVB was absolutely essential; not only was the facility best deals during the event. They got of- it to be,” Hawarden says. “Convention centers are staying on top new to us, but so was the country and its particular regulations. fers for restaurants, bars, shopping and The bayfront San Diego Convention Center, which of ever-evolving technologies. The main push now is for Internet They coordinated all of our site visits, and they connected us to all hosted PCMA’s 2012 Annual Meeting, Convening entertainment all over New Orleans. It access and bandwidth throughout the building to keep up with the local venues and gave us their insights on which ones would Leaders, now offers free Wi-Fi in lobby areas. was a great benefit for members who demand. Digital signage and way-finding are also big, given that best meet our goals,” she says. are text-savvy.” signage is typically costly for customers.” “We never had any visits or meetings without their presence; They are also doing more homework, Hawarden says, adding they served as our main point of contact and resolved many issues site selection assistance Photo courtesyPhoto of San Diego CVB the advantages of logistical solutions and relationship-building on our behalf,” adds Hawarden. hotels to choose from; the nice thing is and ROI calculation into the mix, including connecting the centers to new conven- that we’re not contractually obligated to contact each of them, so Christine Shimasaki, CDME, CMP, is managing director of tion hotels via walkways and bridges. Advancing Cvb Technology Helps Centers Thrive there are no ‘pat proposals.’ ” empowerMINT.com, and the Destination Marketing Association “I do think it’s vital. It’s part of the flexibility piece, since this CVBs are taking the same kinds of initiatives — using ever- With iLead’s real-time advantage, all venues can edit con- International’s (DMAI) Event Impact Calculator. makes it possible to expand the convention center space, or to evolving technology to attract as many events as possible to their tent and tailor responses with custom photos, videos, links to Both are DMAI strategic initiatives: empowerMINT.com is a meet in both a larger venue and a smaller, more intimate one,” she city’s convention centers and hotels. websites and more. Additionally, they know just who they are national electronic destination finder designed to hand planners says. “Plus it takes the weather out of the equation, somewhat.” An important way to do so is to simplify the planner’s job, ac- competing with. a roster of bureaus to choose from based on criteria they feed into Alongside these enhancements, cultivating solid rapport with cording to Margie Sitton, senior vice president of sales and ser- “Everything is time-stamped. We know when the lead comes the empowerMINT Web portal. There is even an online tutorial, clients and strengthening communications are steps she sees cen- vices at the San Diego Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. in, we know when it goes out, and the hotels and planners know led by Shimasaki herself, explaining how to use the system. ters refining to make sure the bookings keep coming. Gone are the days when a planner waded through multiple it, too. It’s very interactive,” Sitton says. “The fact that it’s real- “The whole purpose behind empowerMINT is to really ar- “Convention centers are also doing a much better job of engag- proposals to choose housing venues suitable for a function, at time and that planners can see their progress makes it very excit- ticulate and communicate to meeting planners the value of ing customers before they build or remodel, so they know what least in San Diego. This CVB’s cutting-edge lead system — iLead ing for them. Planners love iLead, and it has been great for San working with a CVB and to find them all,” says Shimasaki, who is the customers need and want up front.” — does much of the grunt work to simplify site selection. Diego,” Sitton says. based in San Diego. “It makes it very easy for planners to search Hawarden also made the push for association planners to uti- “We re-engineered our lead system two years ago so that we It must be working: Nearly 4,000 attendees descended on the and find a CVB with all information on the local convention lize every tool that the local CVB offers, citing details of a 2010 can communicate with planners,” Sitton says. “When we get a lead, sunny city in January when the San Diego Convention Center and center and hotels.” event when 1,500 MPI members convened from all over the globe we create a link for that person to access iLead, and we push the the San Diego CVB co-hosted the annual Professional Convention If a planner is considering several destinations with a specific at Cancun’s Moon Palace for their annual meeting. leads out only to hotels that fit a planner’s needs. We have 131 Management Association’s (PCMA) Annual Meeting, Convening size requirement, Shimasaki says, they can use the portal , which

20 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 21 will transport them directly to the CVBs who will jump in and Center professionals for the event’s specialized requirements. time at The National Association of Broadcasters Show last April accommodate the bandwidth necessary to do this. Before, it cost continue the simplification process in unfamiliar cities. “We cater to a very technological audience,” says Renzi, who at the Las Vegas Convention Center (see photos opposite). about $10 per day for someone to access the wireless Internet.” The What about the investment? How does a CVB or a planner was honored with the Meeting Professional of the Year Award at enhancement will roll out by the end of March, making work easier quantify the economic value a meeting or convention will bring the Event Service Professionals Association Annual Meeting in FREE WIRELESS ACCESS (AND MORE!) seals the deal both for attendees staying at the center and for those who are not. to a destination and demonstrate ROI to stakeholders? January. “This meeting provides the chance for technical profes- The 1,001-room Omni Dallas Hotel, which has 110,000 sf of “Some of them had free wireless at their hotels but not at our The answer, according to Shimasaki, is DMAI’s new Event sionals — aerospace engineers and designers — to pass on their meeting space, opened last November as headquarters hotel for convention center,” he says. “And it was limited on some of the trade Impact Calculator, a destination- and event-specific online tool latest accomplishments and newest developments for helicopters the Dallas Convention Center. The new property, connected to show floors so that made things difficult sometimes.” developed in partnership with Tourism Economics. DMOs and and other vertical-lift technologies.” the convention center by skybridge, is one key to being able to host The trend is becoming widespread throughout the nation’s major planners subscribing to the calculator can now analyze the total To accommodate, according to Dave Wilson, event manager at what Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention centers, Jones says. He considers the investment crucial for larger economic impact of a face-to-face event by entering their event’s the Virginia Beach Convention Center, adjustments were made & Visitor’s Bureau, calls “The Super Bowl” of all industry functions convention centers to draw events of the ASAE magnitude — and data — including attendance, date, event type and duration. — including more than 500 wireless connections for attendees to when ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition comes to Dallas this to remain competitive in an ever-evolving technological age. Jones “This is important,” Shimasaki says, “because not all meetings utilize — but the additions were nothing the center wasn’t pre- August with 6,000 attendees. Jones believes that adding free Wi-Fi says that ASAE’s annual meeting in August “is a huge opportunity are created equal.” For planners, knowing how much your busi- pared to tackle. to the Dallas Convention Center helped to facilitate the booking. for us to introduce Dallas to key decision-makers who are in the ness is worth is powerful leverage during negotiations. “The association required numerous Internet connections on “Very recently, we noticed that some of our competitors were position to book major association meetings in the next 10 years.” the trade show floor, as well as a large amount of bandwidth for beginning to offer free Wi-Fi,” Jones says. “We are making the tech- Read on to find out how other convention centers across the Making Convention Centers Smarter registration requirements,” Wilson says. “Fortunately, this facility nological upgrades at the convention center right now to be able to country are investing for their futures. When David Renzi, CMP, director of meetings and advertis- has been outfitted with the latest infrastructure by the Internet ing for the American Helicopter Society International (AHS), and telecommunications provider, Smart City.” brought 1,500 aerospace engineering professionals to Virginia Amy Chisholm, CAE, CMP, who is director of meetings for the Beach last spring, he relied on the Virginia Beach Convention Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) International, says Smart City Networks provided stellar service for her recent Convention convention of 4,000 real estate professional members at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in California. “Smart City is the exclusive provider for telecommunications Center and Internet service at the convention center so we had to use their services,” Chisholm says. “But it was a very positive experi- ence. They gave us quotes well in advance, and everything was set Highlights and ready as ordered. When the exclusive provider gives good service and value for the money, it’s very much appreciated.” Last July, Smart City Networks formed a relationship with From Coast Origin Digital to offer simplified videostreaming packages for convention center events nationwide, an initiative which Smart City Networks’ president, Mark Haley, says provides functions to Coast with superior video services. “Events are utilizing video experiences to supplement a show’s live presentations and demos, but to work seamlessly, the technol- Last spring’s National Association of ogy needs to be in place to accommodate the additional demand Broadcasters Show was the first group that streaming video places on a network,” Haley says. “We’re to experience a new interactive lounge environment (above) developed committed to enhancing the experience through video.” by Smart City and Monster The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, Renderings of San Jose Media and showcased at showcased new ways to stay connected when The Healthcare the Las Vegas Convention Convention Center’s 125,000-sf Center. The digital Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) held its expansion, which will help experience included annual trade show there last February. Monster Media and Smart the city compete for large a portable plasma association groups. City Networks partnered to provide six mobile hot spot lounges courtesyPhotos of San Jose CVB touch-screen wall, kiosk with with free Wi-Fi, charging stations, and three interactive kiosks, interactive which detected body motion to trigger digital touch displays San Jose, CA. Coming in fall 2013, the San Jose Convention the project, will boast a total of 550,000 sf of usable space when content, and charging promoting the HIMSS mobile website, as well as live digital QR Center will showcase freshly renovated spaces as well as unveil a the $120 million project is complete. Other major improvements stations (right). codes that users could scan with their smartphones, sending them new 125,000-sf, integrated convention center expansion, which include more outdoor event space, better way-finding and up- directly to the HIMSS mobile website. Smart City and Monster will include a 35,000-sf ballroom and 25,000 sf of flexible meet- graded technology, and more breakout flexible space. Media unveiled an expanded interactive digital system for the first ing space. The convention center, which will remain open during Team San Jose’s CEO Bill Sherry, who is serving as the conven- Photos courtesyPhotos of Smart City Networks

22 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 23 general manager and CEO, Los Angeles Convention Center. “The flexibility and efficiency inherent in contiguous exhibit hall design is considered an attractive feature to event organizers and planners.” Long Beach, CA. The Long Beach Convention & Entertain­ ment Center, with its more than 300,000 sf of exhibit space, is undergoing a major repositioning and upgrade to provide a bou- tique-style ambience. The center has invested $20 million over Photo courtesyPhoto of Anschutz Entertainment Group the past three years for new furniture, seating, carpeting and wall A rendering of the Los Angeles Convention Center’s proposed 20,000-sf addition, which will replace the 40-year-old West Hall. coverings, with more furniture added near function spaces to cre- ate “minipods” for attendees to meet and network, according to tion center project executive, noted: “The new convention center the center’s spokesperson Bob Maguglin. will become an icon for San Jose and increase Team San Jose’s “We cater to association conferences, and all of the meeting competitive edge selling San Jose as a destination in the meetings space has been completely renovated,” Maguglin says. “We’re re- and convention marketplace.” Sherry, who also continues to serve ally excited about the renovations.” as aviation director at Mineta San Jose International Airport, Nashville, TN. In early 2013, Nashville will welcome the successfully piloted the airport’s $1.3 billion modernization proj- 1.2-million-sf Music City Center, which will feature a 350,000-sf ect to an under-budget, early completion. In anticipation of the exhibit hall as well as 57 meeting rooms and a 57,000-sf ballroom. greater drawing power of the newly expanded convention center, Opening a little later in 2013 and serving as the headquarters ho- Team San Jose has restructured its sales organization to include a tel, is the Omni Nashville Hotel, which will offer 800 guest rooms stronger presence in the Midwest and Northeast. and 80,000 sf of meeting and event space for up to 2,700 people. Says Team San Jose Vice President of Sales and Marketing The convention center hotel also will integrate with the Country Diana Ponton, “There are now groups we can sell to in these mar- Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which will provide another kets who were interested in Team San Jose’s renowned service 10,000 sf of meeting and event space. Music City Center has pre- model — that has 97 percent of planners saying they would return booked more than 600,000 total room nights. — but who couldn’t book us before due to convention center size.” Philadelphia, PA. The Philadelphia Convention Center’s San Diego, CA. A proposed $520 million expansion of the five-year, $786 million expansion project came to a close in the San Diego Convention Center, which just hosted PCMA’s an- first quarter of 2011. The center’s 2.3-million-sf facility now cov- nual meeting in January, would add 961,187 sf, doubling the ers four city blocks on 20 acres in central Philadelphia. It is the floor space of meeting rooms and ballrooms, bringing the total largest single public works project in Philadelphia history and the square footage of floor area to 2.75 million sf. Consultants es- nation’s 14th largest facility. Among new features of the LEED- timate that the expanded center could attract an additional 25 certified center is a glass atrium entrance soaring 100 feet above events annually. the ground and a ballroom that accommodates 6,000 attendees. Los Angeles, CA. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) The Philadelphia Convention Center is billed as a technology recently announced plans to replace the Los Angeles Convention Center’s existing West Hall. The new 20,000- sf hall, which will connect the existing South Hall with AEG’s proposed NFL football stadium, would better ac- commodate large conventions. AEG previously unveiled plans to build the new stadium, Farmers Field, which will be situated next to the new convention center hall and would provide additional event space for groups. Timelines are not established yet, but it is speculated that the convention center construction would be completed a few years ahead of the stadium, which is aiming for a 2016 opening. “The Los Angeles Convention Center modernization component of the event center development project will

replace the four-decade-old West Hall of the Los Angeles courtesy CVBPhoto of Nashville Convention Center with a modern facility contiguous with Nashville’s Music City Center, which opens in spring 2013, will incorporate the South Hall exhibition space,” says Pouria Abbassi P.E., a living, 4-acre green roof, designed to prevent storm-water runoff.

24 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com leader, boasting the industry’s highest bandwidth Internet con- Visitors Bureau. This includes the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial nectivity, along with new technological advances including digi- Convention Center with a $50 million renovation underway tal signage and remote attendance. With walkability being crucial since December of 2011. The renovations follow $93 million in for large functions, there are 8,500 hotel rooms within a 15-min- improvements made to the 27-year-old facility over the past five ute walk of the Philadelphia Convention Center. years. Debuting in early 2013 will be a new 60,300-sf Great Hall, Anaheim, CA. The Anaheim Convention Center will break 25,400 sf of prefunction space, a rooftop terrace, executive club ground on its new Grand Plaza, a 100,000-sf outdoor addition to lounge and a 4,660-sf Signature Room. The Hyatt Regency New Orleans reopened last fall after a $275 million redesign. The hotel, situated next to the Louisiana Superdome, has 1,193 all-new guest rooms and the largest amount of meeting space in the city at 200,000 sf. Las Vegas, NV. In January Smart City Networks installed a digital signage network at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). The system includes 12 video walls, offering exhibitors and event planners a high-impact way to publicize their informa- tion and services to thousands of attendees. The planned $890 million expansion of the LVCC that was put on hold during the recession may soon be back on the drawing board. Indianapolis, IN. The Indiana Convention Center’s 2010 expansion (which nearly doubled its previous size) and Lucas Oil Stadium, joined together by walkway, means that the two

Photo courtesyPhoto of Omni Dallas Hotel now have a combined 745,000 sf of exhibit space. The Indiana The Omni Dallas Hotel, which opened on 11-11-11, is Convention Center is connected by skywalks to 4,719 hotel connected to the Dallas Convention Center via skybridge. The city will host ASAE’s annual meeting this August. rooms — more than any other convention center in the nation. Lucas Oil Stadium – home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and its function and meeting space, in the spring of 2012 and will fin- the 2012 Super Bowl — is an all-weather venue that independent- ish by the year’s end. Water fountains, outdoor seating, dining and ly boasts 179,000 sf of exhibit space and seats 63,000 for even the unique landscape design will highlight the Grand Plaza, which largest of events. Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim Orange County Visitor Sandusky, OH. Midwest meeting options just expanded with & Convention Bureau calls “spectacular” for meeting attendees. the opening in January of Kalahari Resort’s newly expanded con- “Our excellent, year-round sunny weather is the perfect backdrop vention center. The 120,000-sf addition more than doubles the for this space,” he says. “Here groups can dine al fresco, listen to size of the previous space, bringing the total to 215,000 sf, accom- concerts, or attend receptions and exhibitions.” modating 5,200 attendees. High-tech touches include interactive Advancing technology is high priority. As of January, the white boards, digital signage, videoconferencing, and advanced 1.6-million-sf, LEED-certified convention center will offer sound and audio-visual equipment. free Wi-Fi to all of its guests with standard 128K-upload and Seattle, WA. Why choose Seattle Southside for an association 256K-download capacity throughout the center. meeting? With Southside’s four cities situated 15 minutes south Orlando, FL. The Peabody Orlando finished a $450 million of downtown Seattle and 20 minutes north of Tacoma, econom- expansion in late 2010, including the addition of a covered walk- ics are key, according to Seattle Southside Visitor Services. Hotel way to the Orange County Convention Center. It’s an elegant rates are 20 to 30 percent less expensive than those in downtown venue for a large gathering with 1,641 guest rooms and 300,000 Seattle, so meetings and events are much more affordable at the sf of function space. It is now one of the largest Forbes Four Star, area’s 9,000 hotel rooms and more than 850,000 sf of meeting AAA Four Diamond hotels in the eastern half of the U.S. The space. An abundance of free parking, free airport shuttles and new Hilton Orlando also is connected to the OCCC via open-air inexpensive public transportation means that meeting in Seattle walkway, and Rosen Centre Hotel recently opened a new skywalk Southside saves planners and their attendees a pocketful of cash. to the convention center. A light rail system provides convenient accessibility to and from New Orleans, LA. Nearly every hotel in the city has un- downtown Seattle for post-meeting entertainment and dining. dergone renovations, repositioning or rebranding in recent The ShoWare Center in Kent accommodates up to 6,000 attend- years, according to Tara Letort, director of group communica- ees, and the Tukwila Community Center has meeting space for tions and public relations at the New Orleans Convention & up to 700 people and views of Mt. Rainier. AC&F

26 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com Destination Report

Hilton Orlando (with 1,400 guest rooms and 175,000 sf of meet- ing space) and the Rosen Centre Hotel. Rosen Centre, which offers 106,000 sf of meeting space, recently renovated its 1,334 guest rooms as well as its Grand Lobby, hospitality suites and presidential suite. Debuting in the fall is an 18,000 sf ballroom. Meanwhile, the Rosen Plaza Hotel (60,000 sf), situated next to the convention center, has just completed a renovation of all 800 Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World ResortWorld Disney Walt courtesyPhoto of guest rooms. In 2013, Walt Disney World Resort will be celebrating the opening of a new Another stellar property, Omni Orlando Resort at “Avatar”-themed land and the expansion of Fantasyland. ChampionsGate, will be able to host larger association meetings Florida with the January 2013 completion of an additional 46,000 sf of several times and decided to break out of the box and try some- meeting space. In total, the 720-room hotel will offer more than thing different, and we liked Tampa very much,” comments Lisa Where ‘Attraction’ Is the Name of the Game 128,000 sf of event space. L. DeGolyer, chief executive, conferences and education for the By George Seli visited the city last November. “Many of our members felt that Universal Orlando Resort recently announced new enter- Atlanta, GA-based Construction Owners Association of America going to Orlando was like coming home because it has that high tainment options, including a new Blue Man Group show at (COAA). “In 2010 in Tampa we had 234 attendees, and when we lorida’s primary cities share many qualities that attract as- concentration of parks,” she says. “And the new developments Universal CityWalk, and, coming this spring, a new Superstar were there in 2008 we had 231. And the economy has been tough sociation meetings, from warm weather to outdoor activi- in our industry normally hit Orlando first, such as when The Parade and a newly upgraded “Amazing Adventures of Spider- the last few years, but these are among the highest attendances ties to top-notch (and relatively affordable) lodging and Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened (at Universal Orlando Man” experience. Debuting this summer is a “Despicable Me” that we’ve had, so we’ve held strong in Florida.” Fmeeting facilities. But each city — from Miami to Jacksonville Resort) in 2010. We were there in November of that year and attraction, Hollywood Drive-In Golf experience and an immer- Both years, the COAA Fall Owners Leadership Conference — has a distinct character and culture to go along with the ubiq- did a buyout of the Harry Potter area for our big Thursday night sive retail entertainment experience. Universal also recently an- has been held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. uitous palm trees. Whether it’s the elegance of Naples, the history event. Attendees just loved having exclusive use of the rides.” nounced that it will offer meeting groups staying at the three on- The 719-room property offers 50,000 sf of meeting space and will of St. Augustine, the electricity of South Beach, the Cuban flavor The group also has done “behind the scenes” facility tours of site Loews hotels golf privileges at partner courses Cypress Golf be renovating its three restaurants: IL Terrazzo, Café Waterside of Ybor City, or the world-renowned theme parks of Orlando, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, SeaWorld and Legoland. “Being in Club and Windermere Country Club as well as a dedicated golf and Champions. “It is a beautiful upscale property on the wa- delegates can look forward to very different experiences un- Orlando eight years, we definitely want to stay ahead of the curve, coordinator who will plan and manage golf events. ter with fabulous meeting space,” says DeGolyer. “The food both der the rubric of a “Florida meeting,” and a planner can find a so we’re working with all the facilities in that area to know what Speaking of golf, as of last fall, Arnold Palmer Golf Manage­ times was top notch, and the guest rooms are impeccable.” Floridian city to match their interests and demographics. For they’re developing, what’s coming online in ’14 and ’15 when ment now operates, manages, maintains and helps promote Describing herself as something of a “meeting space snob,” Diane Williams, director, meetings and events for the Alexandria, we will be there. Our members want to see the latest,” Williams all five Walt Disney World Resort courses including Disney’s DeGolyer notes that the Marriott met all of her expectations in VA-based International Association of Amusement Parks and explains. “So Disney is coming on board with Fantasyland, and Palm and Magnolia, Lake Buena Vista, Osprey Ridge and that department, featuring “a very nice large foyer space outside Attractions (IAAPA), the match is fairly obvious: Orlando. we want to get in there when it opens.” It’s also quite easy for Oak Trail golf courses. In Walt Disney World Resort enter- of the ballrooms that is the perfect place for our boutique ex- Generally considered the centerpiece of Florida’s meeting in- the IAAPA to bring in top speakers in the theme park industry tainment news, construction is expected to begin in 2013 on hibitors. We don’t have a big exhibition. All 25 can be out in the dustry, Orlando is also on the cutting edge of the theme-park in- “when you’re sitting in their backyard,” she adds. For example, “we a new themed land in Animal Kingdom based on the James foyer space, and they get the traffic all day long, so attendees can dustry, and the IAAPA has contracted to hold its meetings there had Jim Atchison, CEO of SeaWorld, speak at our breakfast last mingle with exhibitors.” for the next eight years, according to Williams, and most recently year, and he just drove over from his house.” The city of Tampa had several points of interest for COAA The attention Orlando gets from the IAAPA speaks to the “Many of our members felt that going attendees. “Our delegates are interested in buildings and ar- world-class caliber of its attractions. The Attractions Expo to Orlando was like coming home. chitecture, and we typically organize an architecture tour in 2011 drew about 25,000 industry professionals from many ...And the new developments in our the area. So we arranged a guided tour of the Tampa Museum countries, an increase from the previous year, Williams re- of Art and the University of Tampa,” DeGolyer relates. “At the ports. “Considering everything that the entire industry has gone industry normally hit Orlando first.” museum we had the builder, the designer and the owner repre- Diane Williams, Director, Meetings and Events through on a global level (economically), we were very pleased sented on the tour, and they took our group through the museum International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Alexandria, VA with those numbers.” Among the 35 or so contracted hotels were and explained the modern architecture. The group loved it.” The some of Orlando’s major properties, including the 1,641-room COAA is apparently just one of many groups that appreciates Peabody Orlando (300,000 sf of meeting space), 1,001-room Cameron film “Avatar.” A Fantasyland expansion project, fea- The Tampa Museum of Art/Cornelia Corbett Center, which re- Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (more than 122,000 sf) and the turing a ride-through “Little Mermaid” attraction, is scheduled cently received the prestigious American Architecture Award. It Rosen hotels. Williams lauds the city’s CVB, Visit Orlando, as “a for completion in 2013. is the only building in Florida to win the award, and only one of huge help to us and a great partner. They do a lot of promotion two in the entire Southeast. for us, assisting our communications department in developing Tampa Next, the group visited the university and toured Plant Hall, coverage for our event through radio interviews and newspapers, At the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Florida’s west coast the main building. Formerly the old Tampa Bay Hotel, Plant in the local press and also on a national scale.” lies Tampa. With the exception of Busch Gardens, the city is a Hall is a leading example of Moorish revival architecture in Photo courtesy OrlandoPhoto of Universal Resort A new Blue Man Group show just debuted at Universal CityWalk, featuring Three hotels now connect to the 2.1-million-sf Orange departure from Orlando’s theme-park extravaganza, and many the southeastern U.S. “We had a member of the university’s de- new technology, new experiences and a new finale with original music. County Convention Center (OCCC): The Peabody Orlando, the groups appreciate the change of pace. “We’ve been to Orlando sign and construction services team presenting, and I had to

28 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 29 drag the group away afterwards to get them back on the bus,” cough and one of the servers that was out there said, ‘I’ve got my 1,043-room Boca Raton Resort & Club, built in 1926. It features “We’ve been to DeGolyer says. grandmother’s secret recipe.’ He gave the drink to the gentleman, the renovated 26,037-sf Grand Ballroom, as well as 34 confer- A more specialized art museum in Tampa is The Florida and it got rid of the cough. Somebody else wasn’t going to attend ence rooms totaling 24,000 sf within The Cloister and The Tower. Orlando several Museum of Photographic Arts, which has just moved to Rivergate the breakfast and just came down to grab two plates for himself Delegates can also convene in the Mizner Center (80,000 sf) or times and decided to Tower in the Downtown Tampa Arts District. The museum oc- and his wife, and one of the waiters said, ‘Let me go up with you.’ the more intimate Yacht Club (7,700 sf). Another major resort in break out of the box cupies the second and third floors in Rivergate’s Cube, a soaring, He carried some of the food and rode the elevator up to the at- the county is Palm Beach Gardens’ PGA National Resort & Spa, and try something six-story atrium recognized as one of the most impressive interior tendee’s room.” That kind of personalized service “doesn’t happen with 339 guest rooms and 23 meeting rooms. The resort offers a Lisa L. DeGolyer spaces in Tampa. The museum is scheduled to open its first exhi- everywhere,” Eisenman stresses. 33,900-sf, self-contained conference center. different, and we liked Chief Executive bition in the building in March 2012. The group was comprised of only about 150 members, and Large associations have at their disposal the 350,000-sf Palm Tampa very much.” Conferences and Education there was a national medical association in the hotel at the same Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, just Construction Owners Association Miami time, Eisenman says. But the larger group’s meeting space was on three miles from Palm Beach International Airport. It features of America The Florida arts scene is also vibrant in the Miami area with a different floor and “we never got run over by them; we didn’t a 100,000-sf exhibit hall, a 25,000-sf ballroom, and 23,000 sf of Atlanta, GA the October opening of a brand new, $51 million performing arts feel like we were the small fish.” Program highlights included a breakout space. Currently on the drawing board is a 400-room venue: the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. And dele- banquet with a Blues Brothers band performing. The Loews cu- Hilton hotel to be constructed next to the convention center, with gates who bring their families will note that The Miami Children’s a completion target of 2015. World Center of Racing” is now offering new all-access VIP tours, Museum on Watson Island has invested more than $200,000 on Within walking distance of the convention center is the famed which allow fans to view never-before-seen areas of the speed- facility upgrades and exhibits, while the Miami Seaquarium un- Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, which consists of three way, including the Daytona 500 Club President’s Row and the veiled Sea Trek Reef Encounter in December. The $400,000 addi- performance spaces, all of which are available for group rentals: Driver’s Meeting Room. tion provides an underwater walking journey through the park’s the 2,200-seat main concert hall, a 300-seat intimate theater and But Daytona is not just a city for “gear heads.” It has its cultural Reef Aquarium while wearing a state-of-the-art dive helmet that a 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. New additions include the side as well, highlighted by the Museum of Arts & Sciences, a allows guests to breathe freely as they encounter tropical fish, Cohen Pavilion, with banquet facilities, and a 10,440-sf ballroom. Smithsonian affiliate. The MOAS recently debuted the Helene B. stingrays, eels and other sea creatures. Another bastion of the Palm Beach arts scene is the Norton Roberson Visible Storage Building, a 4,400-sf addition that dis- Planners also have upgrades and expansions to be enthused Museum of Art, one of Florida’s largest art museums. It accom- plays important works from the museum’s collection in an open about at Miami’s hotels. For example, The Doral Golf Resort & modates banquet seating for small and large groups up to 300, storage format and contains art and artifacts not currently on ex- Spa, a Marriott Resort recently completed a $16 million resort- or a standing cocktail reception for up to 500 guests. Other hibition. The first display of the Visible Storage Building includes wide renewal in preparation for the resort’s 50th anniversary group-friendly cultural venues in the county include the Boca items from the Arts in the Age of Napoleon Collection, one of this year. The transformation includes a new golf course, The Jim Raton Historical Society, Boca Museum of Art and The Harriet the finest collections of Napoleonic holdings in the Southeast. Photo courtesy of Turnberry Isle Miami courtesyPhoto of McLean Signature Course, a renovation of The Spa at Doral and The 392-room Turnberry Isle Miami features championship golf, a private Himmel Theater in CityPlace, West Palm Beach’s popular shop- Historic dining is also on the menu in Daytona, where groups a new Latin-inspired steak house, Mesazul. The 693-room Doral beach club, spectacular outdoor venues and a 40,000-sf conference center. ping and dining complex. And as far as shopping goes, it’s hard can now experience Rose Villa in Ormond Beach. The five-star offers nearly 72,000 sf of meeting space. to top Palm Beach County, where attendees on their free time restaurant is housed in a home built in the late 1800s. The Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach recently completed linary staff “prepared an entire grouper (a fish) sitting up on a can explore, for example, Worth Avenue in Palm Beach or a $220 million renovation begun in 2008. The project includes a plate where they just peeled off pieces to serve attendees,” says Mizner Park in Boca Raton. Naples redesign of the hotel’s Historic Tower, the addition of the 21-story Eisenman. And for the first breakfast of the meeting, a repre- “There is a different vibe in the Naples/Marco Island area,” de- Ocean Tower, a new steak house, the Elle Spa and more. As a re- sentative from the Greater Miami CVB delivered a 20-minute Daytona Beach scribes Richard Miseyko, CMP, CMM, president of St. Petersburg, sult, the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach has almost doubled PowerPoint presentation on the history of the city and gave at- Daytona Beach is literally looking better to groups with a FL-based Site Search Inc. “It can be very high end with your in size from 349 guest rooms to 631 oversized guest rooms and tendees suggestions for their free-time activities. multimillion-dollar refurbishment of its historic 87-year-old Pier, Marriotts, Ritz-Carltons and La Playas, but there’s still that casual now offers 28 meeting rooms with 46,000 sf of flexible indoor Eisenman & Associates Inc. has about 30 clients, and of those set to reopen in May with a Joe’s Crab Shack, rickshaw service elegance. You don’t see the urban sprawl you see in other parts of meeting space and 25,000 sf of outdoor event space with ocean that meet outside their home state, probably 75–80 percent have and more. Groups can tour the Pier after convening at the Ocean the state. For instance, when you drive down U.S. Route 41, the and Intracoastal views. or will go to Florida, according to Eisenman. Construction as- Center Convention and Entertainment Complex or one of the signage for the Denny’s, etc. is very small and low to the ground A major upscale property is the 790-room Loews Miami sociation members in particular “don’t do much work during the hotels in the surrounding Ocean Walk Village, a six square-block so you don’t have a lot of the neon and media clutter that would Beach Hotel on South Beach, housing 65,000 sf of indoor/out- winter, and it’s a good time to get away and have a warm-weather area that is home to the Wyndham Ocean Walk Resort, Hilton intrude on the overall look of the area.” door meeting space. Rick Eisenman, CAE, president/CEO of meeting,” he explains. It happens that the program at the Loews Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and the Ocean Walk Shoppes Eighty-five percent of Site Search’s business is in the associa- Glen Allen, VA-based association management firm Eisenman was “the first program we’ve done in Miami, but it will not be the and Ocean Center. In total, the Village offers groups 300,000 sf of tion market, and Miseyko notes that when delegates arrive in & Associates Inc., recounts a very positive recent experience at last,” he says. meeting space and 1,200 guest rooms. Just up the road in Daytona Naples, they will definitely feel they have “escaped” from the rig- the Loews with one of his clients, a statewide contractors asso- Shores is the upscale Shores Resort & Spa, with 212 guest rooms ors of the office. “It’s hard to put a price tag on that feeling, but it’s ciation. “The hotel blew me away with the level of service — not Palm Beach County and 20,000 sf of meeting space, some with ocean views. very important,” he says. The atmosphere lends itself especially to just to me. It’s easy for a staff to target one person and make sure “America’s First Resort Destination” is much more than a sun The Marriott is located on Richard Petty Boulevard, and board retreats, and, at press time, Site Search was working with their needs are met, and I’ve seen that before. But every one of our ‘n’ fun locale; it’s a place where groups can experience the legend- indeed Daytona is known for its International Speedway and the Palm Beach County Bar Association on its Fourth of July ex- members got equally attentive service,” remarks Eisenman, who ary resorts of financier Henry Flagler and the distinctive archi- Richard Petty Driving Experience, which allows visitors to strap ecutive retreat, destined for Naples. Planners seeking aid from illustrates with a couple anecdotes. “One of the members had a tecture of Addison Mizner. A prime example of the latter is the in and take several high-speed laps around the speedway. “The the Paradise Coast’s CVB can’t go wrong, Miseyko insists. “Their

28 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 31 CVB competes shoulder to shoulder with any other in the state tion group can count on a small town-style welcome: “Downtown as far as assistance in distributing leads, arranging site inspec- Jacksonville is a tight-knit business community that rolls out the tions and so on.” red carpet for guests: banners throughout downtown, warm wel- And there are plenty of fine hotels in Naples and Marco Island comes at the airport and more.” to inspect, particularly the new developments: Groups will find unique meeting and event spaces at the The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Beach Resort recently completed historic Florida Theatre, opened in 1927 in the downtown area, $6 million worth of new venues and enhancements, such as a as well as a variety of cultural venues such as The Times-Union new sushi bar; a two-story Beach House that’s suited for spe- Center for the Performing Arts, The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and The Museum of Science & History. Families will enjoy a visit to The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, which features the second largest animal collection in the state. The downtown area features the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, with 160,000 sf of meeting space, and the popular Jacksonville Landing, a dining and entertainment dis- trict fronting the St. Johns River. Attendees can take a water taxi up and down the river to restaurants, museums and other en- tertainment venues. Close to all the action is the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, which bills itself as the largest convention hotel in Northeast Florida. The hotel offers 963 guest rooms — a majority of which overlook the river — and 110,000 sf of meet- ing space, including a 28,000-sf ballroom. A large outdoor ter- Photo courtesyPhoto of Hyatt Regency Riverfront Jacksonville The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront features an expansive race space overlooks the St. Johns River. The 354-room Omni outdoor event area overlooking the St. Johns River. Jacksonville Hotel (14,000 sf) recently renovated its entire meet- ing space, while the 159-room Sheraton Jacksonville (10,000 sf) cial events; and Nature’s Wonders, an interactive sanctuary for recently added a new 3,483-sf ballroom. children. In addition, the 10,125-sf Vanderbilt Ballroom now Nearby St. Augustine boasts the 301-room Renaissance World features motorized ceilings. The 450-room hotel offers 70,000 Golf Village Resort and Convention Center, which recently sf of meeting space. completed a patio renovation, offering an additional 15,000 sf The Naples Grande Beach Resort has been rebranded as the of climate-controlled event space. The resort offers 101,000 sf of Waldorf Astoria Naples. The 474-room resort brings the first meeting and event space together with the adjoining World Golf Golden Door Spa to the East Coast and a Strip House steak Hall of Fame. house to complement its more than 107,000 sf of indoor and Also accessible from Jacksonville is Ponte Vedra Beach, where outdoor meeting space. smaller association meetings can find a home at the historic Ponte The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club has renovated its 317 Vedra Inn & Club. The 250-room resort was built in 1928 and fea- guest rooms, opened a new pool event area and refurbished its tures a freestanding Resort Conference Center with 25,000 sf of golf course. The hotel offers 34,000 sf of meeting space and spec- flexible meeting and banquet space (17 rooms). tacular outdoor beachfront event areas to enjoy the famed sun- And on Amelia Island, the 249-room Omni Amelia Island sets over the Gulf of Mexico. Plantation is in the midst of a complete resort renovation called The Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa has “The Re-Imagination of the Omni Amelia Island Plantation completed a multi-year renovation that totaled more than $200 Resort.” The $85 million project is expected to be completed in million. The latest addition is a $2.5 million lobby redesign result- the spring of 2013, and will add 155 new oceanfront rooms and ing in the new lobby bar and sushi restaurant, Korals. The project suites, and 20,000 sf of meeting space, increasing the total meet- also introduced a new 24,000-sf Balinese spa, a redesigned The ing space at the resort to 70,000 sf. Rookery Golf Course at Marco and restored Island and Capri Locales such as St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and Amelia Island ballrooms. The 727-room hotel offers 225,000 sf of indoor and offer a compelling combination of history, elegance and sun-filled outdoor meeting space. relaxation, like many of Florida’s cities, from Naples to Palm Beach. Add in cosmopolitan Miami and the entertainment mecca that is Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra Beach Orlando, and a planner has different ways to make a productive At 840 square miles, Jacksonville is the largest city in the conti- convention feel a bit like a vacation. That feeling translates to stron- nental U.S. But, according to one spokesperson, a visiting associa- ger attendance numbers the next time around in Florida. AC&F

28 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com CareerDirect Connect Track Direct Connect

An up-to-date listing of important contact information Free Information for leading hotels, resorts, conference centers and CVBs. ADVERTISER PH # WEB ADDRESS CONTACT E-MAIL ADDRESS Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau 714-765-8888 http://meetings.anaheimoc.org Mindy Abel [email protected] ARIA Resort & Casino 866-718-2489 www.arialasvegas.com Tony Yousfi [email protected] Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa 609-317-7729 www.theborgata.com Group Sales [email protected] The Broadmoor 719-577-5777 www.broadmoor.com John Rovie [email protected] Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-933-8448 www.miamimeetings.com Ileana Castillo [email protected] Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-344-2282 www.visitgreensboronc.com Ava Pope [email protected] Hilton Orlando 407-313-4300 www.thehiltonorlando.com William McKay [email protected] Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino 800-545-6040 www.innofthemountaingods.com Jo Kazhe [email protected] Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Sandusky, OH 419-433-7759 www.kalahariresorts.com/oh/conventions Group Sales [email protected] MULLANAPHY NOCERA FAIRE SNYDER TAYLOR Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, 608-254-3314 www.kalahariresorts.com/wi/conventions Kevin Shanley [email protected] Wisconsin Dells, WI Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando 888-322-5531 www.uomeetingsandevents.com Group Sales [email protected] The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau Megan Tomlinson has joined the Center, Houston, TX, as the national sales Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-452-7829 www.visitlongbeach.com Iris Himert [email protected] has named Neil J. Mullanaphy, CHME, Pennsylvania Convention Center manager responsible for corporate ac- as senior vice president of sales Authority as national sales manager counts. She was corporate sales manager MGM Grand Las Vegas 800-929-1112 www.mgmgrand.com Ruth Leis [email protected] based out of the Washington, DC, responsible for selling the Pennsylvania for the InterContinental Houston hotel. The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club 800-866-1946 www.naplesbeachhotel.com Group Sales [email protected] office. With more than 26 years of Convention Center in Philadelphia. She New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 504-582-3023 www.mccno.com Keith Levey [email protected] sales and marketing experience, he was national sales manager for the Valley Charles Snyder was named sales manager Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau 405-297-8912 www.visitokc.com Robin O'Connor [email protected] formerly served as executive director Forge Convention Center, Valley Forge, PA. for the Pasadena Convention & Visitors of sales and marketing for the Hawaii Bureau, Pasadena, CA, responsible for cor- Omni Hotels & Resorts 972-871-5623 www.omnihotels.com Mark Wykes [email protected] www.omnihotels.com/findahotel/orlan- Convention Center/SMG. Craig Thompson was named convention porate and SMERF markets. He formerly Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate 407-238-6526 Group Sales [email protected] sales director for Cleveland Medical Mart served as director of convention sales for dochampionsgate/meetingfacilities.aspx The Kansas City (MO) Convention & & Convention Center, Cleveland, OH, the Los Angeles Convention Center. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club 800-234-7842 www.pontevedra.com Tony Fitzjohn [email protected] Visitors Association has appointed responsible for non-medical trade shows Reunion Resort, a Grand Golf Resorts of Florida 877-449-9768 www.grandgolfresorts.com Group Sales [email protected] John Heeney as vice president of conven- and conventions. He was national sales Lindsey Taylor was named sales manager Collection tion sales. Heeney, who brings 25 years manager at the International Exposition for Visit Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA, Rosen Centre Hotel 407-996-9840 www.rosencentre.com Todd Frappier [email protected] of sales experience to the organization, Center in Cleveland. focusing on university and non-profit Rosen Plaza Hotel 407-996-9700 www.rosenplaza.com Victoria Hall [email protected] most recently operated his own con- markets. She earned a Bachelor of Rosen Shingle Creek 407-996-9939 www.rosenshinglecreek.com Leslie Menichini [email protected] tract sales organization, Rising Tides. The Walt Disney World Swan and Science with concentrations in public Dolphin, Lake Buena Vista, FL, has relations and advertising from the Royal Caribbean International 800 762-0458 www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com Lori Cassidy [email protected] NYC & Company, the official marketing, named Angel M. Faire as national sales University of Southern Indiana. AC&F Seattle Southside Visitor Services 206-971-0408 www.seattlesouthside.com Meilee Anderson [email protected] tourism and partnership organization manager for the Midwest region, South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa 702-797-8050 www.southpointmeetings.com Maureen Robinson [email protected] of New York City, has announced the responsible for corporate groups. She SSOCIATION Team San Jose 408-792-4521 www.sanjose.org Mark McMinn [email protected] appointment of Rachael Nocera, CMP, to was senior sales manager for the Hilton CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES A Universal Orlando Resort 888-322-5531 www.uomeetingsandevents.com Group Sales [email protected] regional director, national accounts, in the Walt Disney World Resort. ADVERTISER Page Midwest region, based in the Chicago Anaheim/Orange County The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino 702-414-4202 www.venetianpalazzomeetings.com Chandra Allison [email protected] area. She previously worked as manager, The Omni Orlando Resort at Visitor & Convention Bureau COV IV Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-700-7702 www.vbmeetings.com Al Hutchinson [email protected] meeting and convention sales with ChampionsGate in Orlando, FL, has Kalahari Resorts COV II Omni Hotels & Resorts 5 Walt Disney World Resort 321-939-7112 www.disneymeetings.com Anne Hamilton [email protected] Tourism Vancouver in Chicago. named Jean Spaulding as director of sales Rosen Centre Hotel 15 Washington Hilton 202-328-2080 www.hiltonsofdc.com Group Sales [email protected] and marketing. She formerly served as Seattle Southside Visitor Services 27 The Santa Fe (NM) Convention senior vice president, resort sales and Team San Jose 25 The Westin Casuarina Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Spa 702-836-5934 www.westin.com/lasvegas Sandra Horvath [email protected] & Visitors Bureau has named marketing, Noble Investment Group. Universal Orlando Resort 33 The Westin La Cantera Resort 210-558-2229 www.westinlacantera.com Group Sales [email protected] Debra Stottlemyer as sales manager. She Visit www.themeetingmagazines.com Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino 520-796-4923 www.wingilariver.com Denise Heintz [email protected] formerly was director of sales at Hotel Heather Ives Hernandez has joined the sales for more information on our advertisers. Wynn/Encore 888-320-7117 www.wynnmeetings.com Steve Blanner [email protected] Andaluz, Albuquerque, NM. team at the George R. Brown Convention

34 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 35 COMING JANUARY 2013

Announcing the

100,000 square-foot open-air

Anaheim Convention Center

GRAND PLAZA

your meeting place in the sun!

Open for business January 2013

Discover the possibilities at:

anaheimoc.org/plaza

or call 714-765-8888

GRAND PLAZA FEATURES: • Outdoor exhibit space • Al fresco dining • Evening receptions • Outdoor concerts

anaheimoc.org/plaza